1 Am
by msevilgenius
Summary: Deuce comes home late from work to find an angry Cleo. How can he win her back?


Here's some Cleuce :)

xxooxo

Duece pulled up his hood over the top of his snakes trying to keep them warm. It was late out, and in the middle of winter – hence, it was freezing, especially for a cold-blooded reptile. He wished he'd grabbed a warmer jacket when he left the shop. He was hungry too, but after working all day he should be. He'd warm something up when he got back to the apartment.

Even though they just graduated Monster High Cleo and Deuce moved in together at the first chance they got. Deuce was a little unnerved about living with his long time ghoul—but after they settled in, every second was worth it. Even after the two moved in, their relationship stayed romantic, and not sexual. Deuce never tried to convince Cleo to do anything; he was going to wait for her. After all, what kind of lover forced themselves on their significant other?

Deuce glanced at the clock on the wall as he entered his apartment building. It was nearly 1 AM. He guessed his extra shifts went on longer than planned. Cleo was probably asleep by now.

He slipped upstairs, and opened the door quietly, slipping his jacket off. Cleo was a light sleeper – he didn't want to wake her up. He set his keys and jacket down on the counter.

"Where have you been?" a sleepy voice questioned.

Deuce looked up in surprise as his ghoulfriend looked at him expectantly. The mummy had curled up in a makeshift bed (that actually looked more like a nest, truth be told) that had been set up on the living room floor.

"Cleo," he greeted. "It's late. You should be asleep."

"Where were you?" She questioned again, pushing the covers off of herself. Cleo had changed out of her normal clothing, and had traded it in for her usual sleeping clothes.

Deuce shrugged. "I took some extra shifts so I can make some overtime, I forgot to text you I would be late." He worked at Heath's Auto Store/ Workshop, their specialty… _race cars_, Heath's favorite.

Deuce could tell from Cleo's expression that she wasn't buying it. Her eyebrows furrowed. Cleo was upset. But what would she have to be mad about?

"Heath called," Len mentioned off-handedly, though Deuce could tell that the fact was bothering her.

Deuce blinked in surprise. Why would Heath be calling? "He did? What about?"

"To ask if I'd seen you," Cleo stated, gazing up at him angrily. "Why are you so late?"

"That idiot, he probably forgot that he told me to pick up some parts. When I came back he was already gone." Deuce said, "Then I stayed late for some overtime."

Cleo bit her lip, and looked away. She was getting more and more upset the further this conversation dragged on.

"Babe," Deuce said gently, "we can talk in the morning. It's obvious you're upset…"

"Of course I'm upset!" Cleo snapped. "You have no idea what today is, do you!?" she snapped.

He jumped. "Cleo?" Her sky-shaded eyes were in tears now. Deuce hated it when she cried. He took a step towards the Egyptian. She shook her head, and walked away from the gorgon, her legs stiff with repressed anger.

Deuce could only stand in place as Cleo walked to the other end of the apartment, disappearing into their room. There was a quiet commotion, and then Cleo came out again. She'd thrown on a pair of gold skinny jeans, and had a purse in her hand.

"Babe, where are you going?" Deuce asked, confused.

"Home!" She yelled, refusing to look at him. Cleo tramped past the scaly young-adult, and opened the door.

"Cleo!" He grabbed onto her wrist. "Why are you—"

"It's our anniversary!" Cleo cried, yanking her wrist out of his grip. "Well, yesterday was, anyways!" she snapped, gesturing angrily at the clock.

Deuce froze. Cleo had tears streaming down her face.

"I hate you," She whispered. She turned and ran out of the apartment, slamming the door in Deuce's face.

Deuce was beyond shock. He had to go sit down. He somehow managed to walk over to the kitchen, and sit down at the table.

What he found made him feel even worse.

The table was set, and dinner dished up. Cleo's had apparently been picking at – but none of it eaten. It was Deuce's favorite Greek foods. He felt a pang, Cleo had obviously been planning dinner for a while now – she never cooked, it was always bought or Deuce made it.

Feeling terrible, Deuce put the food into the fridge. They could warm it up when Cleo got back – of course she'd come back, right?

Deuce ran his hands through his snakes. Cleo would probably go to her pyramid to calm down, and be back tomorrow afternoon. He left the kitchen, no longer feeling hungry.

The bedroom was aglow with soft lamplight, her golden earrings on the nightstand. Deuce gulped, struggling with tears of his own.

xxooxo

Deuce rested his forehead on his hands, exhausted. He was sitting outside his favorite café. Jackson was across from him, enjoying some fancy kind of Italian coffee. A cup of black coffee – Jackson had ordered it for him – lay untouched in front of him.

"Deuce, what's up with you?" Jackson asked, downing the remnants of his cup, and then promptly ordering a second one. Jackson was a college student, he practically lived off coffee.

Deuce was quiet for a moment, took a sip of his luke-warm coffee. Right now, he just didn't feel like talking.

"Something happen with Cleo last night?" Jackson asked, worried. At first, he'd thought Cleo was just using Deuce, but even so Deuce loved that ghoul unconditionally. Eventually, Jackson found himself from being a skeptic to one of their strongest supporters.

"I guess you could say that," Deuce sighed. "It was our anniversary. I completely forgot about it," he admitted. "Cleo stayed awake until I got there."

"When did you get home? Ten?"

"One AM,"

Jackson took the news in stride. "No wonder. So you got into a spat with Cleo, and now all of a sudden you're not acting like Deuce anymore?"

"She left," Deuce said bluntly.

Jackson choked on his coffee. "She _what_?"

Deuce glared up at him pointedly. "You're being sympathetic."

"It's just—this is _Cleo_ we're talking about!" he exclaimed. "She's like a lovesick puppy when it comes to you! Well at least on the inside…"

"She wasn't always that way," Deuce pointed out.

"Deuce, listen to yourself! You know that Cleo's changed – for the better – since she began seeing you!"

"She deserves better," Deuce said, sipping his coffee again. By now, the coffee was cold. "After all, I forgot all about it – we'd been together for three years."

"Talking about it in past tense already?" Jackson demanded.

"Deuce, damnit, get a hold of yourself! Go and get your lover back!" He growled, standing up. Her chair fell back. "You love Cleo, don't you?" he challenged.

Deuce watched, eyes wide with shock, it was as if Holt was talking, but no music was to be found.

But he was right, he had to go get Cleo back.

xxooxo

Three days.

Three hellish days had passed. Deuce had gone to Ghoulia's apartment, just to have the usually cooperative, pleasant zombie girl literally kick him to the curb, moaning at him that Cleo wasn't there, and that she'd never forgive him for hurting her best ghoulfriend like that.

Frankie had likewise treated him, slamming the door in his face. Even if she thought Cleo used to be cruel, she could tell she was serious about Deuce. She'd never seen Cleo cry – until a few days ago when she showed up at Ghoulia's house after leaving their apartment. All she knew was that Cleo left Ghoulia's house the next morning.

No one Deuce had contacted had any clue where Cleo had run off to. Ghoulia, Frankie, and Clawd all refused to answer his calls. Jackson was the only one on his side in this problem.

xxooxo

Deuce sighed, and leaned back. It was lightly drizzling out. The park was otherwise peaceful, and Deuce could see a few people pass by him, covered by umbrellas of varying colors.

A familiar tune started playing, a unique ringtone. Then the sound reached him, he was certain now. He shot up. He turned towards it, and was on his feet before he knew it. He couldn't even feel his feet hit the ground as he sprinted towards it.

"Hello…. Oh my Rah! Then what?" Cleo was on her phone and had a shopping bag from her favorite store when Deuce found her. Cleo glanced over at Deuce. Cleo simply stared at him. "I'll call you back Lala…" and she hung up her phone.

"Cleo… I—"

"I'm still mad," she cut him off.

"…I guess I deserve that," Deuce sighed, admitting defeat. "And I'll understand if you want to leave me, but I had to see you again."

"Who said anything about that?" Cleo asked, and looked at him face-on.

"Idiot! I may be mad, but I love you!"

"But… but you said…" Deuce stammered, his cheeks flaming up.

"Deucey," Cleo stated, getting up on her tip-toes to look Deuce straight in the face. "We all say things we don't mean when we're angry."

He fumbled to try and find words.

She sighed. "Idiot. Don't try to explain yourself. You're forgiven, since you're—"

Deuce leaned forward, capturing her lips. The Egyptian turned a bright red. When the gorgon pulled away, she was at loss for words. "Since I'm a hopeless idiot," Deuce stated, completing her previous sentence. "I'll try to be better."

"I was about to say… since you're _my_ idiot," Cleo amended, putting her arms around Deuce's neck, leaning his forehead against his.

"By the way. I'm betting that dinner I made is still in the fridge. How about we go home and eat together, hm?" she smiled brightly. "We can move the celebration of our anniversary to tonight."

Deuce put an arm around Cleo's shoulders, and grabbed her shopping bag. Cleo wrapped her arm around his waist out of habit – they often walked together like this.

"That sounds just fine with me."

Xxooxo

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